Age of Fish
How can you determine the age of a caught fish? You can do it by examining its scales. As soon as a fish hatches from its egg, it has the…
How can you determine the age of a caught fish? You can do it by examining its scales. As soon as a fish hatches from its egg, it has the…
Have you ever seen a light-colored beer bottle? Apparently, they don’t exist: dark glass protects beer from the effects of light. And what about a dark milk bottle? Probably no…
Camels thrive in some of the hottest places on Earth, yet they sweat very little. The body temperature of these “ships of the desert” can rise to 104 degrees Fahrenheit…
It’s hard to imagine organisms smaller than yeast bacteria. There are about 40 billion of them in just one gram! These tiny fungi are essential to cities with millions of…
Canned Goods In the world, there are truly astonishing discoveries… Half a century ago, while digging a tunnel in the American states of Arizona and Nevada, workers encountered a layer…
Tilapia In 1938, the scientific community was shaken by an extraordinary event: a one-and-a-half-meter-long coelacanth was caught off the coast of South Africa. Until then, it was believed that this…
For centuries, the slender stalk of grain has fascinated humanity. Delicate yet capable of supporting the weight of an ear of grain, it holds its bounty high above the ground.…
In China, bamboo is used to make plumbing pipes and even woven cushions. On Sumatra, it’s crafted into snuff boxes, mats, and hats, while Malaysians use it to floor their…
This incident took place in 1929, when researchers around the world were on high alert: the Italian explorer Nobile had gone missing after taking off in a dirigible toward the…
tin plague In his time, Scott, the renowned polar explorer, prepared meticulously for his expedition to the South Pole. He accounted for everything: the icy silence of Antarctica, hurricane-force winds,…
There was a time when prospectors searched for hidden minerals in the ground armed only with a slingshot carved from a hazelnut bush and treated with a secret technique. Holding…
There’s nothing worse than biting into an apple only to find a worm inside! It may look rosy and fragrant on the outside, but inside, it’s just a mushy mess.…
Near Trostyanets in the Sumy region, visitors to the dendrological park can marvel at the “13 sisters”—a group of linden trees that all grow from a single root. These “sisters”…
It has been estimated that a liter of seawater contains as much thermonuclear energy as the chemical energy found in 350 liters of gasoline. Once science harnesses this truly inexhaustible…
Nature presents humanity with countless mysteries, and we tirelessly work to unravel them one by one. The otter, which inhabits rivers, primarily feeds on fish. Interestingly, there are no recorded…
Of the seven wonders of the world, only one has survived to this day—the Great Pyramid of Giza, the most magnificent structure of antiquity. When scientists studied this monument of…
In Argentina, the weather is warm, and sheep roam freely outdoors all year round. However, there have been instances where shepherds discovered their flocks dead overnight. These sheep appeared perfectly…
Every autumn, millions of little orange suns emerge from the dark green foliage of small trees along the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus. These are the ripening citrus fruits.…
Two Czechoslovak chemists were engaged in a challenging task—analyzing how the chemical composition of corn kernels varied from different ears of corn. When the samples were burned and the ash…
In textbooks, you can read about the water cycle in nature. The sun heats the surfaces of rivers and oceans, tiny water particles rise into the atmosphere, condense into clouds,…
Archaeology boasts a variety of methods for dating ancient artifacts. Items made from organic materials—like wooden utensils, canvases, and leather goods—can be analyzed using carbon-14 dating. But what about a…
Piglets have every right to be upset with Her Majesty—nature. She seems to have forgotten to provide sows’ milk with enough vitamins and essential minerals like iron and copper, which…
Have you ever seen a microscope designed for multiple users at once? Probably not. Such microscopes are rare. Yet, in some universities, entire groups of students are now able to…
Have you heard about a communication device that existed over a thousand years ago? The truth is, this ancient “phone” had nothing in common with the modern version. It consisted…
It’s easy to measure a runner’s speed: just time the moment they start and when they break the finish line tape. But how do you measure a bird’s flight speed?…
One of the most fascinating fish is the eel. It lives for about twenty years in rivers that flow into the Baltic Sea and in the lakes connected to those…
A rocket powered by conventional chemical fuel, which currently launches our satellites into orbit around the Earth, would need to weigh as much as the Moon to reach the nearest…
How much water does an adult need each day? Scientists have calculated that it’s about two and a half liters. One liter of the necessary fluids comes from the food…
[/caption]Doctor, my chest hurts… The physician carefully examines the patient, listens attentively, and discovers a lung condition. “Please take off your shoes,” he instructs the visitor. As the patient removes…
Humans don’t worry about the oxygen content in the atmosphere; that’s the job of their green friends—plants. But what will provide oxygen in a spacecraft when it breaks away from…
Building in the mountains, in the forest, or on the steppe is one thing. Constructing near a large lake is quite another. Experts assert that before erecting a city, port,…
There’s nothing quite like heading into the woods to forage for mushrooms—taking in the fresh air, enjoying the beauty of nature, and returning home with a basket full of treasures!…
The Cyclic Nature of Biological Processes The cyclic nature of biological processes has been known for a long time. For instance, even Seneca was aware of it. Two and a…
Emotions reflect the state of the soul. Pain is a condition of the body. Pain and emotions are interconnected. Bitter emotions lead to pain, and pain always manifests in emotions.…
Plants are vulnerable to sudden cold snaps. This is largely because the cells of crops like wheat are made up of about 80 percent water. When temperatures drop low enough…
For a long time, humans have incorporated microorganisms into their diets. All products made from yeast dough, cheeses, kefir, and several other foods consistently contain a certain number of microbial…
Simple clothing and linen repairs are usually done at home. This section provides information on the basic techniques for the most common types of repairs. Darning. The goal of darning…
Unfortunately, not all mushrooms are beneficial. Among the nearly 100,000 known species, medical mycology highlights about 200 types that can cause dangerous and hard-to-treat diseases in humans. Some of these…
I was drawn to this recipe by its unique twist on the pot lid: it’s made from puff pastry. I can’t wait to share it with you. Start by sautéing…
Using a sharp knife, slice the chicken breast lengthwise into thin cutlets. Cover them with plastic wrap and gently pound one side. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. On each…
Sauté 3 finely chopped onions until golden brown. Dice sweet bell peppers and chili peppers, then cook them with the onions until the peppers are slightly tender. Next, add 1…
Wet Cleaning of Outerwear. At home, you can clean clothing using water and various cleaning agents—soap, ammonia, “Novost” powder, OP-7 detergent, and others, to which denatured alcohol, acetone, or gasoline…
Ironing Pants. Before ironing, make sure to thoroughly clean the pants of dirt and dust. Next, press the creases at the knees. Place a damp cloth over the area you…
When removing stains from colored fabrics, it’s essential to consider the durability of the dye, the potential for spreading, and the harmful effects of stain-removing chemicals. The most common stains…
Furniture finishing should not only look beautiful but also protect the wood from dust, moisture, and vapors. In kitchens, shelves, and storage cabinets, oil-based paints and enamels are commonly used…
Proper maintenance of oil-based coatings on wooden and metal surfaces in buildings not only extends the lifespan of these structural elements but also gives a tidy appearance to the room…